Nothing! Ok, I am exaggerating. You will learn a few things here and there but in reality there isn’t much to learn that you cannot find outside universities. This is based on my personal experience doing my MBA. I feel that it is the same in most places. The delivery and approach might be different, but the content to a large extent is probably the same. I have spoken to some friends at different business schools, and while their experiences are different than mine and some probably are enjoying their programs more than me, I get the sense that they are more or less on the same boat. Many universities spend a lot of energy to get a better image through ranking or research, but fail to try to find ways to turn you into a better manager of leader.
You get to learn a lot of terminologies and probably become a presentation expert. You learn a lot of concepts and theories, but very little about the real world. You will be brainwashed by Harvard cases, to a point that you will probably think that every solution to the problems of the world will be at Harvard. While I am not questioning the quality of these cases, they are more marketing for Harvard rather than empowering you as a student. No wonder why business school graduates are never ready for the real world!
I think that at the end of the day, it goes back to you as a person, what do you really want to get from this degree. How you want to use it, and how you want to apply it to the real world. Some might genuinely try to learn and apply some of the knowledge that might be applicable to the real world. Others will look for an MBA stamp on their business card. The latter might give you a better job, or a flashy business card, but will not make you a better person. Let a lone that I find it weird to list your degrees on your business card.
The problem with business schools is that they teach you about definitions that Google & Wikipedia can describe them so well, that you do not need to ask an expert.
However, every time I asked “how”, I failed to find answers. In fact, I thought business school is a place to ask questions; it turned to be a training ground for routine rather than creativity and innovation.
Edward de Bono, a well known scholar and thinker who is credited for his work on creative and lateral thinking has criticized universities saying that they live in the past. He suggests that it is based on the old traditions of scholars, that is scholars were there to analyze. He suggests that we have been generally very poor in the operational side of thinking, how we do things, how we design value, how we make things happen. He suggested that “universities are out of date because universities were to bring the wisdom of the past and make it available in the present. Now at the digital age you can get all the information you want. Universities should be teaching skills, thinking skills, people skills, management skills, operational skills.” While I am not the biggest fan, I could not agree less with you Dr. De Bono. I am just learning the hard way. I should have listened to what you said.
Many told me that business school is a good place to network. I find this lame in today’s world. Yes you will network at business school, but in today’s world you can network with people in so many ways that will cost you nothing and in some cases you do not need to meet in person! So my little piece of advise, always ask questions, preferably try to ask the right questions, and if you do not get the answers, then keep searching until you find the answers. Remember the answers to “what” are probably available everywhere. It is “how” that you need to find answers for.
I think the reason you stated above; the fact that universities make us follow things that happened in the past is one of the reasons behind why there are no innovative dieas nowadays.
What they do is basically tell you “Okay, here is the problem or the issue, and THIS is how it was solved in the past. noe memorize it and learn from other people’s mistakes.” They don’t give us students a chance to excerise our brain, find a way to fix our own problem instead of following other people’s footprints. And if you think about it, one way or another this is on its own an immitation.
You are becoming a deep thinker these days, and this is what you get from staying in cold Korea or perhaps enduring the lengthy classroom days…. And I am in awe with your journalistic talents, indeed it has gone a notch higher. There are times that I can hear myself in your words like “weird” or “flashy”. But I am enjoying your mini works of bourgeois activism, and your critical, not sure constructive thoughts. I am becoming your literary fan.
As I told you before, let go of the academics. BS is an acronym for bull shit and also for business school. Have you heard of the saying, those who can’t play, coach, and those who can coach can’t play. That is the same with schools. The reason why they are teaching, is because they cannot do it in the real world. Scholars and their innumerable ideas are most of the time should remain in their thoughts because it is impossible to implement. And if Harvard BS has all the answers in making billion dollar business solutions, why can’t they solve America’s economic problems.
Ergo, stop being realistic. BS will only last in the next few months of your life. So enjoy every minute of it. Open your mind and your heart. Perhaps something will just inspire you. Then reality will bite you back. Whatever your professors and books taught you in this jouney you call MBA, just take it with a pill. Put it in you stock of knowledge, hopefully in the future, one way or another it will be helpful. Keep your contacts, they will definitely be handy.
Lastly, don’t be such an idiot of putting MBA title after your name, it does not matter. People will know if you are smart or dumb even with or without the titles before and after your name. These practices are for mere hypocrites that I bet keeps all those stupid certificates that they get for every conference or training they attend. Sorry, if I might be bumping on some people that might be reading your blog. But I adhere on freedom of expression. :0 ) Ciao… enjoy Korea!
Makes you think why the instructors went to “instruct” (I don’t consider many of them not to be teachers but only “INTRUCTORS”) in the university’s in the first place 🙂 Hang in there brother….